Woman Killed In Crash With Big Rig On I-280 In Cupertino

CUPERTINO (CBS SF) – A 62-year-old Sunnyvale woman was killed in a crash on southbound Interstate Highway 280 in Cupertino that was part of a series of incidents that started with a big-rig crash Tuesday morning, a CHP spokesman said.

The big-rig crash occurred just after 11 a.m. and involved a tractor hauling two trailers of dirt that flipped onto its side on the on-ramp from South Wolfe Road to southbound I-280, CHP Officer D.J. Sarabia said.

The truck driver was unable to negotiate the right curve onto the freeway and the trick tipped over, blocking the on-ramp. Dirt from the trailers spilled onto the two right lanes of the freeway, Sarabia said.

The driver of a second big-rig noticed the crashed truck and stopped on the right-hand shoulder, just south of the on-ramp. That driver exited his vehicle to help the first trucker, Sarabia said.

At that point, a Sunnyvale woman driving south swerved and lost control, and her car traveled to the right and rear-ended the big-rig that was pulled over, Sarabia said.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:21 a.m., the CHP said.

The Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office has not yet positively identified the woman.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the woman was driving at about 65 mph and had not reduced her speed for the slower traffic ahead that was backing up because of the crashed big-rig and the second truck that had pulled over, Sarabia said.

A Sig-alert was issued at 11:29 a.m. while the right two lanes were blocked. The lanes reopened by 1:55 p.m., Sarabia said.

The two truck drivers were not injured in the crash, he said.

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